Sault Area Arts Center sends out call for amateur photographers
SAULT STE. MARIE — There is still time to sign up to be part of an upcoming amateur photography contest with the Sault Area Arts Center.
For the second year, 48 photographers are going to photograph their own part of Chippewa County over the course of 48 hours.
After two days, the artists will come together to show their work. Photographers can choose anything to be their subject, and the arts center wants people to use this as a chance to get creative with how Chippewa County is depicted.
"To be able to see everyone's different viewpoints, it's fun to see what catches somebody's eye and what interests them and what they can represent in a photograph," said Robin Sorquist, Sault Area Arts Center gallery director.
Last year, the event inspired several people who had never made art before to find a new creative outlet.
"There were a lot of new faces in last year's event and a lot of faces that after we got to know them through that show have started coming around and participating in other shows," said Sorquist. "It was really nice to see that we were forging new relationships and meeting new people."
With the increase of smart phones, people have more access to cameras than ever before, which creates new opportunities for amateur photographers.
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A collection of the photos taken will be displayed in a gallery in the arts center. Normally, in order to have work displayed in a gallery like the arts center, it requires passing through several levels of scrutiny and jurying, and many new and amateur artists never make it to that point.
With this competition, the arts center eliminates the need for pre-qualifying, and allows anyone to participate, no matter their level of skill or experience.
Each photographer will be assigned a different section of the county, and they can use any subject they see, and any photography style they want, during any time of day. There are no restrictions on what constitutes a qualifying photograph.
Each photographer will submit three photographs, at least one of which is guaranteed to end up in the gallery.
The photos will be judged by a Sault Area Arts Council panel and first, second and third place photographers will win $300, $200 and $100, respectively.
Registration for the event closes on May 25, or when spots are filled. Contestants will photograph the county between June 7-9. The gallery from the event will be displayed in August.
— Contact Brendan Wiesner: BWiesner@Sooeveningnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Sault News: Sault Area Arts Center sends out call for amateur photographers
